Ibalik-aral (18)

Ibalik-aral means to review something you've learned. A lot of old lessons needing to be learned again, a lot of old weaknesses to be overcome, and a lot of familiar challenges to perhaps solidify what I have learned on my mission...in different atmospheres, circumstances, and perspectives.

Well, as far as events that have happened since last time, I said my farewells to my batch sisters, the ones who changed my life drastically. The ones I will remain friends with forever. Not to sound dramatic, but I will stay close with them into the eternities. I've made promises I intend on keeping. This means I have six months remaining, well...five now as this transfer hits midway. I'm only counting cause I'm scared. When the sisters left, they helped me a lot in remembering some key things that I had been overlooking, and I thank them, and send my love out to them. That was as hard as saying goodbye to friends and family back home.

But with missionaries going home, that means new beginnings for others, and changes in the mission. One change being a new AP to replace the old one who went home?

 guess who?

Elder Trebas.

Yep, the same one who I was zone leaders with just six weeks ago in Lopez. Freaking crazy right?! Reunited with one of my best friends has made me so ridiculously excited and happy for what's to come. Our adventures in Lopez were epic, and we got work done, and now we have the freedom to roam the entire mission with united goals, ideas, and adventures sure to be had. Last week, I traveled back to Lopez with Palacio and worked with most of the elders and sisters out there over the span of four days. It was so fun to be with them...and...to actually teach! GLORY HALLELUJAH! First lesson in over SEVEN weeks. I was bursting at the seams to share the Gospel, and I finally got to, and in fact with another of my closest friends Vandermyde out in Malinao. One of the most beautiful areas in the mission. We had an incredible time teaching, tracting, and inviting...just like the good ole days on Marinduque. Working over that week and getting to know the elders and spending time with them was like medicine. It helped me realize what I can do as an AP to affect the work, and it is to fire my boys up! To get em revved and rocking so that they are happy, inspired, and hardworking. I love it. I have learned to love my calling now, and I'm so grateful to be here. Tonight I will be traveling to Mindoro, the other island in our mission to spend another four to five day adventure...with Trebas! Life probably could not get any sweeter right now.

But it hasn't come on a silver platter served in bed. It has been a constant battle of self-discipline and evaluation of myself. Even a very steep increase of temptation, discouragement, and Satan planted doubts and darkness. Man, Satan works freaking overtime on me now, and it is ridiculous! He tries to distract me so hard all the time, and I seriously didn't catch it until a few weeks ago when I noticed a weakening in resolve. Fasting and prayer was the answer, and I'm on top of it again, but goodness...he does not like me right now...

As I mentioned, a lot of the lessons I've learned over the past eighteen months are seriously seriously being tested and tried right now. What do I prioritize? Where do I draw the line? How do I stay afloat amongst stress and business?

How do I keep having fun (well that's super easy now that Trebas is back haha), how do I maintain who I am while setting the example? And even going back to those core principles like scripture study, sincere prayer, finding out who I really am and what God envisions me to become, and how I help in becoming that person and finding God's will. It won't be easy, but it wouldn't be worth it if it wasn't easy. So I'll just lose myself in the work once more, review those past lessons learned, apply them, and prepare for life after the mission. I'm not trunky, I'm being rational. It's going to happen, so I might as well prep now...because that's what part of what a mission is. Preparation for everything that comes afterwords.

It continues, and I will continue to climb up the hill. They say once you hit your "hump" mark, you roll down the last year of your mission. Who are they kidding? The hill has just gotten steeper. Well, as I keep on climbing, I do it with a smile on my face, grateful for a challenge. Grateful for the strength to endure and keep on, and grateful for the training I am receiving. I invite you my friends and family, do the same. You are going through what you are going through for a reason. There is always a reward on the horizon. Always something worth fighting for. Always a reason to give it your all, if not for the selfish reason that you want to prove to yourself that you can. The furnace can become a sauna as long as you have the right attitude about it.

I love you!

-Elder Mace